Lakwatsarah

From Simbaan a Bassit , we started walking our way to Heritage Village... On our way, we passed by Crisologo Museum and stopped for a while to get some photos. We weren't able to tour the inside of the museum because we're really running out of time.  Calle Crisologo is Vigan's most picturesque street. A walk down the cobblestone streets and rows of ancestral houses in thick brick walls standing side by side to each other made me feel like I'm frozen in time. It definitely brought back the mood of the historic Spanish times - the grandeur of the past. There were a number of shops seen along the street selling souvenir pieces, antiques,  furnitures, food parlors and I even saw an Island Souvenir shop. You an also visit the Administration office to grab some brochures. Calle Crisologo  I've always wanted to taste the authentic Empanada of Vigan as well as Bagnet, but my cousin said, empanadas are sold in the afternoon. We didn't get to see a store selling o

We left Baguio at about 7:30pm. Bus tickets going to Vigan costs Php294 (Partas Bus Airconditioned). My friend MC and I got our seat at the very front row of the bus while my cousin Leah and son Cocoy were seated at the back. It was a long 5 hour drive, good thing we bought Jollibee hotdog sandwiches before getting on the bus. We haven't eaten our dinner yet because of the long line at the Partas Bus Terminal. That was the day when the Panagbenga Grand Float Parade happened.

Here's a sample itinerary of what we did. We actually stayed there for 3 days but I'll just share the places we've seen on the first 2 days since the 3rd day was spent watching the Panagbenga Float Parade. Prior to the trip, I made some internet research before deciding on what places to go to. Feel free to follow our itinerary on your next Baguio trip. The first day was spent touring my friend the basic tourist spots of Baguio. Places me and my cousin has actually visited a number of times except for the Good Taste Restaurant. Day 1 07:00 am:      Check-in into your hotel/lodging house (we went to Benguet State University to follow up on the status of our reservation. BSU is located near Strawberry Farm, a 30 minute and P77 taxi drive from Victory Bus Liner Baguio Terminal) 08:00 am:      Breakfast at McDonald's beside BSU 09:00 am:       Burnham Park | Session Road | Baguio Cathedral                      Downtown area 12:00 pm:     Lunch at

On Day 2 of our North Luzon Trip, we went to Strawberry Farm to harvest err what else - fresh strawberries! After a hearty meal at O' Mai Khan and a quick tour at Bell Church , we geared up for the last stop for the day. Strawberry Farm is located at La Trinidad Valley few meters away from Benguet State University. We walked some few meters more before we arrived at the area. We were all excited especially my nephew Cocoy who loves strawberries very much. Good news is, we're just in time for peak season.

The cool Baguio breeze was indeed a refreshing change from the Manila heat. Location: Burnham Park , Botanical Garden , Mines View Park, The Mansion, Wright Park , Tam-awan Village ,  BenCab Museum

Our first day of tour was fun but tiring that I'm just so excited to lay flat in bed. I'm looking forward to a good night sleep, or so I thought... I woke up 10 minutes before 5am, just in time before my phone alarmed. Good thing I wasn't really drawn into deep sleep as night time in Baguio really gave me one of my biggest chills. I would wake up every now and then putting layers of clothes on top of me ( ginawin talaga ako! ).  I alarmed the clock to check on my cousin  and pamangkin scheduled to arrive in Baguio by 5am. To my shock, I got an sms at around 4am telling me they're already in Baguio! But they're still not here. I immediately txted them for updates. I would go in and out of the house (challenging, really) to consequently check on them, still no luck. I began to worry.

It has been 2 years since my brother graduated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. When Mom and I attended his graduation, it was like being in an ocean full of Patrick Dempsey's in beautiful nursing scrubs right there. Lol! But just like other nurses here in the country, my brother also wished to work abroad. And just like many fresh graduates then, finding a way out of the country has never been an easy task.

After a 5 hour drive from Manila, me and my friend MC finally arrived in Baguio at around 7am. We felt lucky to to finally got out of Victory Bus Liner Terminal, we barely made it on time because we weren't able to book our bus tickets in advance. We waited for 6 hours to finally get on their regular air-conditioned bus.

Truly, experience is the best teacher. And having experienced the thrill of Panagbenga myself, I would like to share a few things I learned during our 3 day stay. For those who are planning to go to Baguio for upcoming Panagbenga Festivals, read these reminders/tips below. 1. Reserve your bus ticket at least 2 weeks before your scheduled trip. I was able to book our plane tickets from Laoag to Manila for our return flight four months before the festival but failed to book our bus ticket to Baguio. Huge mistake! We waited 6 grueling hours at the Victory Liner Bus Terminal in Cubao before finally making it to the bus. Nothing can be more scary than after all the preparations you did, you'll end up missing your trip.

Summer is getting close. Here's another fabulous promo from Manila Ocean Park! Let us take you to on an overnight stay in the fabulous Hotel H2O Club Bay Room... for free! Or let us fly you to the world-renowned white sands of Boracay... for free! Or even allow us to take you on an exhilarating ride straight to Universal Studios in Singapore... for free! Make any of these ultimate dream vacations come true with Manila Ocean Park's Summer Anniversary Promo ! Here's how: Click here to watch self edited video of our Manila Ocean Park Day Tour and find out why it's more than just a  giant aquarium :)

information desk, BenCab Museum Making its mark as one of Philippines never to be missed art gallery is the Bencab Museum.  Located in a quiet winding Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet, this museum is a 15-minute uphill drive from the center of Baguio City. We went to the museum day before the Grand Float Parade , we were lucky enough to catch a cab knowing the day would be a bit of a challenge considering it's when the Grand Street Parade happens. I excitedly asked the driver to take us to Bencab Museum but I began to worry when he maneuvered the car straight to Session Road where the traffic is terrible. He said that is the only museum he knew and tried to asked other drivers but they also pointed him to that direction. I said it's in Naguilian area somewhere near Tam-awan Village (based on my online research). Still not knowing where the place is, we agreed to go to Tam-awan Village instead. From Tam-awan, we took another taxi who knew where Bencab Museum is.

February 27, 2011. An estimated half a million people flocked the streets of Baguio to watch the yearly anticipated event of Baguio city’s 16th  Panagbenga Grand Float Parade 2011 . The Festival theme this year : “The Environment and Community in Harmony.” This Flower Festival has surely brought in a great amount of revenue to the local government – good news to Baguio’s tourism industry, horrific to many travelers! (check out my upcoming posts to find out why)